Northwood News ♦ October 2002

West Nile Virus Confirmed in County

The West Nile Virus has been verified in the 20901 area.  As of 27 September, there were six lab-confirmed cases of the virus in humans in Maryland.  Only one of these is in Montgomery County, in Bethesda, and none has resulted in death.

Most individuals infected with WNV will not have any symptoms or signs of illness.  People who do develop illness may experience mild symptoms such as fever, headache, and body aches; occasionally a skin rash and swollen lymph glands may be noticed.  These symptoms generally appear three to 15 days following the bite of an infected mosquito.  Less than one percent of persons infected with the virus will develop more severe disease with symptoms such as high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, paralysis, and, rarely, death.  People who are over 50 years of age have the highest risk of developing severe disease.

There is no evidence to suggest that West Nile virus can be spread from person to person or from animal to person.

Dead Bird Reporting

If you come upon a bird that appears to have died of natural causes (not a broken neck from flying into a window or obviously mauled by a cat, etc.), you should contact the State Call Center at 1.866.866-CROW (2769).

As West Nile Virus is now considered endemic, the County Department of Health and Human Services is not picking up birds in zip codes where two or more infected birds have already been found, which includes 20901.

However, people should continue to report dead bird sightings to the State Hot Topics Line, 1.866.866.2769.

In addition, callers may contact the Hot Topics Line to hear pre-recorded messages regarding West Nile Virus.

The dead bird is not dangerous to you.  You cannot contract West Nile Virus directly from the bird; there is no live virus in a dead bird.  However, as with any dead animal, you should wear plastic or latex gloves (or use a plastic bag as a glove) when handling the bird.  Place the bird in a plastic bag and tie the bag securely, dispose of the bag in an outdoor trash receptacle, and wash your hands with soap and water.   ■